Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy

child receiving therapy

Pediatric Physical Therapy is often prescribed for children who have gross motor disorders, including Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Down Syndrome, or other neuromuscular disorders. The “Intensive Physical Therapy” model, which was originally inspired by Eastern European methods pioneered in the 1970’s, has been emerging in North America as an effective way to create functional skills in children who have non-progressive neuromuscular disorders. Euro-Peds out of Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac, Michigan, was the first clinic in North America to specialize exclusively in Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy. As of 2010, the clinic has treated over 900 children from virtually every U.S. state, as well as Canada, Jamaica, and as far away as Portugal.


What is Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy?

  • An emerging treatment in North America for children and young adults with neuromuscular disorders using European methods and concepts of intensity
  • Individualized treatment sessions are two, three or four-weeks in length for up to four hours per day, five days per week. Research has shown that children are more likely to learn new and lasting skills through individualized and intense bouts of therapy focusing on strengthening, alignment, balance, proprioception, and functional activities
  • Some of the unique tools often used during the long treatment sessions are European-inspired, such as Suit Therapy and the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU)
  • Intensive PT is meant to be used as a complementary therapy to other therapies, such as traditional PT, School PT, Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy

What is "Suit Therapy"?

  • A therapy suit is a European-inspired tool sometimes worn during intensive physical therapy. It is used for aligning the child’s body, enhancing proprioceptive input, and accelerating the strengthening process. The patented Euro-Pēds Therapy Suit is made of cloth and a series of changeable bungee-like cords that provide constant resistance and can be adjusted for desired alignment and intensity
  • Suit Therapy is sometimes, but not always, part of an Intensive Physical Therapy program
  • Suit Therapy is contraindicated for some children

What is Euro-Pēds®?

  • Euro-Pēds® National Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy is a hospital based program in Pontiac, Michigan, established in 1999 for the treatment of children and young adults with Cerebral Palsy and other neuromuscular disorders
  • First intensive pediatric physical therapy program in North America
  • First clinic to provide Suit Therapy in the U.S.
  • A medically supervised program administered on the premise of medical facilities
  • Specializes in treating children & young adults with gross motor delays at all levels of involvement
  • Employs licensed Physical Therapists with additional training in European therapy tools
  • Administers individually-tailored treatment plans to address each patient’s therapeutic goals
  • Fosters parent education for continuation of progress at home via an individualized and detailed Home Exercise Program
  • Euro-Pēds® is associated with the North Oakland Foundation (www.northoaklandfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization which financially assists families with therapy costs
  • Euro-Pēds® accepts medical insurance

r information or an online application, go to www.europeds.org or call 1-248-857-6776